When No One Else Was Looking
by Hearts-speaking-words
Summary: She never thought that the place she fought so hard to get away from, would one day be the place she never wished to leave. "Please don't make me go, I'll do anything to stay." "Anything?"
1. Power Outage

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 1: Power Outage_

Sarah sighed as she entered her apartment, exhausted from the final exams. Her senior year at college had taken a harsh tole on her, and at the moment, all the 22 year old wanted to do was collapse into her nice, warm, inviting, comfy bed and sleep away the rest of Friday's hectic evening. But, she knew she had papers she had to finish, so she adverted her gaze from her welcoming bedroom and to her, not nearly as welcoming, desk that sat pushed up against the wall of her one bedroom apartment that she could barely afford.

She collapsed into the chair and puled her laptop out of her bag. She placed it on her desk and caught a glimpse of a picture frame on the corner of her cheap desk that was on it's last leg. Toby's 8 year old grin shined up at her. His hauntingly familiar blue eyes, that she swears to this day weren't that blue when she wished him away, were sparkling with joy.

"I miss you, little brother." she said silently before her computer woke up and reminded her she had work to do.

----

Sarah spared a glance down at the corner of her computer screen and saw that it was well after 4 o'clock in the early morning, making her realize she had to go to work in two hours. She groaned and shut her laptop down before retreating into her bathroom, reluctantly preparing herself for yet another day.

----

She had truly had it. Completely and Throughly had it. The manager was an anal retentive bitch that took joy out of Sarah's, and all her coworkers, misery. On top of the everyday hell she went through at her minimum wage, barely worth it, job there had been a power outage at her apartment complex. It had somehow shorted out her power chord for her laptop, causing it to die. When she finally, after almost an hour of searching, she found her spare chord and rebooted it, she found that the paper she had spent all night on had decided not to save. Angry tears welled up in her eyes. She took a few, long, calming breaths and cried her way through the first few paragraphs. It was edging close to midnight when her emotions took over again.

She pushed herself away from the computer and slowly walked over to her couch. She balled herself up and let her tears fall over her cheeks, after a few moments she was full out sobbing. Her body shook through her sobs and heartbreaking sounds exited her lips.

Her head fell back against the couch and she closed her eyes, "I wish someone would take me away from this horrid place." she mouthed, barely uttering a sound. Suddenly she felt extremely tired, she yawned and spoke again, "I wish the Goblin King would take me away from this Horrid Place." she said a tad louder this time, but it could barely be counted as a whisper. The sudden sleep overtook her, but her tears continued to fall for a few moments after her world blacked out.


	2. Whatever One Wishes To Call It

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 2: Whatever One Wishes To Call It_

That surprised Jareth more than anything else she had ever done in the past. He had been drawn to watch her when he felt her emotions flare. They shared a connection, he and she, whether they wanted to admit it or not. The moment she had carelessly wished away her little brother their fates, his heart, was locked.

The bond that they shared came to be when he had first fallen for the girl, before she was even born. It lay dormant, unnoticed, until it was activated, shocked back to life, by her wish. Those few simple words, when he heard them leave her lips, awoke in him a feeling none before, and none after, ever had or could.

This newly awoken feeling, urge, bond, whatever one wishes to call it, was sealed into stone and made even stronger when this young 15 year old girl accepted his challenge to run the Labyrinth, one so many others had turned down in fear. He could be quiet frightening. They both knew this.

The feeling, the bond, was made even stronger, much to the surprise of Jareth, when she defeated him. She did what no one else ever could, She had broken him Twice. He would not, and could not, deny that he had felt a part of him shatter when she pulled out of his grasp while they danced. He had been expecting it, though, so it did not hurt as bad. But the defiance, the truth, in her eyes when she looked into his mismatched eyes and muttered the words that shattered his world forever, those few simple words.... They stung. Worse than anything he had ever experience as a child playing in his parents castle, falling on the stone floors. Unlike those few cuts and scratches, this could not be cured by a mothers loving embrace and comforting words. Sarah, his Sarah's, words cut deeper, much too deep for anyone to heal, except for her. For that rubbish they spin you about time healing all wounds, is only rubbish. Some wounds cannot be healed. Some will stay with you, forever.

But the bond had not shattered with those words, no, it had grown. Grown into something much stronger, much more than Jareth ever dreamed it could. It pulsed and reminded him of its presence, making him wonder if she felt it too. Surely she did, because from time to time his heart would swell and his eyes would water for no apparent reason and the sounds of her laughter or the light in her eyes would fill his mind and he could almost hear her mind calling to his.

Their bond was locked into place, proven when he brought forth a crystal to check on her sleeping form some time after her run through the Labyrinth, when she absently hummed their song one day while doing nothing of importance. It was kept alive and throbbing by the gentle smile she got when his face, voice, or mocking words crossed the path of her memories, met with the sparkle in his eyes he got when he saw her smile, the leap in his heart.

He had witnessed her, hurt and completely worn out, reveal how much she had grown, how much she had learned. Though the angry tears fell she not once muttered the word 'fair' or complained a single time. She sat for hours until she had rewritten what had been lost and added another page and a half. He had felt a sort of pride swell as he watched her work, determination glistening in her tears, an emotion of hers he easily recognized and adored.

He had felt it in his chest, a painful stab that had made him suddenly lean forward in his thrown startling the Goblins scattered amongst his feet, as her emotions overpowered her weak and exhausted form and she had wept, then wished. He had dropped the crystal in his hands.

The words 'I Wish' had not left her lips since she had wished her brother away, neither had the words Goblin King left her conscious lips since. He had been awoken many nights to his Sarah's voice calling out for him. He had answered each time, calming or exciting, in one occasion or another, her with his presence.

So when she called out this time, he acted as he normally did. He answered and did what was asked, he took her away from the dreadful place.


	3. But Not Tonight

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 3: But Not Tonight_

Jareth stood silently in the shadows as Sarah sighed in her sleep. His eyes narrowed slightly in concentration as he watched her peaceful form. Her dark hair was spread out over the white pillow, one of her hands resting on the locks beside her, she was even more beautiful as the first time he had seen her. Of course, that didn't really surprise him.

As the bright, full moon poured through the window, it washed her in its white light. Jareth's breath escaped him momentarily, beautiful was an understatement. He took slow and calculated steps against the stone floor of the chambers he himself had used once upon a time, many years ago. His gloved hand reached out and gently brushed a piece of stray hair from her face. Her eyes seemed to twitch slightly as she tried to move towards the warmth. He found the simple motion bringing a warm smile to his face.

Tomorrow the game would begin again, but not tonight. He wasn't as cruel as she thought he was, but sometimes he wished he was. He wanted nothing more than for her to hurt the way he did, does on a daily basis, but he can't. She needs to sleep, he understands that. He doesn't have to be cruel yet, upon sunrise maybe, but not yet. He wished never again, but sadly he didn't have any power or control over what she thought of him. Which made it truly unfair that she had all the power in the world over him, and she didn't even realize it. Perhaps, she never would.

----

She could have sworn she was laying on something soft a moment ago. Something almost sinfully soft, but not anymore. She coughed and gagged as she pushed herself up off the dusty ground, she didn't remember pulling her hair up into a bun last night. Her green eyes glanced around the familiar hill and they clouded with confusion. Why the Hell was she in the Underground?

"Hoggle?" she asked as she pushed herself up, she glanced down she certainly hadn't put an shoes on the night before either.

"He won't answer you, Sarah. Not anymore."

She turned around, "Goblin King."

"Pleasure to see you again, Sarah." he said sarcastically, dropping his arms, from their crossed position on his chest, to his sides.

"Likewise." she said her voice dripping with a bitter emotion that masked something much, much different.

Neither of them drew attention to it.

"Mind telling me what I'm doing here?" She asked crossing her arms in defiance as he approached.

"For the same reason you were here before, for the same reason anyone appears here. You wished someone away."

"I did not." she said giving him a look of confusion and anger.

"Oh, but you did. Last night." he said, a smirk appearing on his face.

"I don't remember." she mumbled looking down at the ground beneath her black sneakers.

"You were exhausted, but if you do not believe me-" he held up a crystal, "You can see it for yourself."  
She took a step closer to the crystal that was outstretched in his hand and looked into the spinning sphere in his leather covered hand. She was curled up on the couch, her hair was down and her shoes were missing, HA! She knew it, and there were tears in her eyes. Her head was resting against the back of her couch and her face was expressing pure sadness, A look that broke even Sarah's heart. "I wish the Goblin King would take her away, Right now." she heard herself say.

She stepped back, a little shocked. But it was there, she had said it and she had been told long ago that she had banished the King from her presence by declaring that he had no power. So how else could he be standing in front of her in all his glory. She looked back up at his smirking face, "Who was it?"

He nodded back at the crystal in his hands and she glanced into it again. There was a young girl, maybe 6 or 7, sitting on his thrown. Her dark brown hair pulled into pigtails, and her bright blue eyes sparkling with amusement as the goblins chased a chicken around the room. She wore a pair of white pajama bottoms with multicolor polka dots scattered about. She had a red t-shirt on that was ten sizes too big for her small form, she had no shoes on and was missing her two front teeth. She looked familiar, but she couldn't place how she knew the child. She shook her head slightly, but if he said she had wished this little girl away then she had no other choice but to run the labyrinth for her.

"Alright."

"Alright? Are you sure? You barely know this girl."

"I can't let you turn her into a goblin."

He laughed, "Very well then. You have 13 hours in which to solve the Labyrinth or your little... Friend? Shall we say? Will be one of us, forever." he said as he laughed and disappeared.

She rolled her eyes before she turned towards the Labyrinth, "Here we go again." she mumbled as she carefully ran down the hill and towards the entrance, or where she thought it was.


	4. Odd Civilized Conversation

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 4: Odd Civilized Conversation_

Sarah's feet carried her down to the front of the Labyrinth, or what she guessed was the front. It was absent of any faeries or dwarfs. Hoggle was no where to be seen, and that worried her slightly. She glanced around, "Hoggle? Hoggle!" she called, but no one answered her. She let out an agitated sigh, "Great. Now how am I suppose to get into the Labyrinth?" she asked looking up at the walls before her.

Suddenly the wooden door appeared like it had before and slowly opened wide. She stepped back slightly and quickly turned around to look behind her, expecting to see her friend but finding no one. She turned back to the doors and then up at the walls that surrounded it, "Thank you?" she asked, her eyebrows raised and a questioning look on her face. She slowly walked inside and the doors closed behind her, before they disappeared.

She glanced from side to side, it looked the same but different at the same time. She shook her head, she didn't have time for that. She turned and ran to her right, being careful to avoid rocks and tree branches that had fallen from the nonexistent trees. She hurried along, being careful to watch for the worm that she had met before.

She ran what seemed like forever, until something told her she was going too far. She paused and looked around, not seeing the worm anywhere. She decided to turn and back track, still not finding the small blue worm that had helped her before.

"You won't find him, Sarah." came a voice from behind her.

She jumped and turned around, her eyes meeting the mismatched pair that haunted her so, "And why's that?"

"Because I want you to beat me without the use of your friends. I want to make sure you can win my game without their help."

She set her jaw, she wanted so much to exclaim how unfair it was and how she wanted to go home, but she remained silent. She understood. How could she not? Using her friends would, and did, give her an advantage over him. And even if she kind of needed one, she could make it through without their help, couldn't she?

"Alright, then. Why don't you help me?"

"Pardon?" he asked, looking remotely surprised by her question.

His boot found the wall behind him and he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest and watching her curiously. Her hair had fallen out of its bun slightly, and her clothes were covered in a thin layer of dust. He watched as she brushed a stray piece away from her eyes.

"Well, you said I couldn't get help from my friends. I don't think you consider us friends."

"Not quite."

"Then, can you help me?" she asked shrugging a little.

"I don't see why I should, you _are_ trying to beat me."

"Well yeah, but it would be nice of you to at least point me in the right direction."

He inhaled, seeming to consider it, "Alright. But how could you tell if I was lying?"

"I couldn't." she answered quickly and honestly, blinking as she never broke eye contact.

A small smirk trailed across his lips, before he raised his gloved hand and pointed to the right.

The smile she gave him, well there were no words for the feeling that surged through him. She nodded a little and walked past him. Her hand ghosted over his arm, barely touching the fabric of his white poets shirt, in search of the wall. He wondered if she felt the electric surge that he did. She glanced over her shoulder and their eyes met, he could have sworn she blushed as she turned back around and started walking down the stretch of floor. She gasped, an adorable sound in his opinion, as her hand found a lack of wall and she stumbled a bit. She laughed a little as she walked through and took a left. He shook his head just a tad and disappeared.

----

It was odd having a somewhat civilized conversation with him, she thought as she wandered down the turns of the maze. She could see the castle looming in the distance and she could almost hear the chaos that she knew was going on in the Goblin City. She laughed a bit as she continued walking, she hadn't felt happier in weeks. Maybe it was years, she wasn't sure anymore. Ever since she had started high school, she had felt lost and out of place.

She called her friends from the Labyrinth often, for she had no one else to talk to. You can only tell an 8 year old brother so much. Of course she had her father... And Karen. Karen, now there was a true character. She had grown to tolerate, for lack of better terms, her step-mother but never quite grew to Like her.

Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, and when she came to pick up Toby was about the only time she saw the woman, so she didn't Have to like her. Thankfully, that went two ways. The tension she had always felt from her Step-Mother vanished after Sarah moved out to go to college, she swore she had never seen the woman smile bigger than when she was pulling out of the driveway.

She wasn't expecting the ground to fall from beneath her, nor was she expecting the ground to come at her so quickly. She barely had time to let out a yelp as she fell. She landed on something soft though, and recovered quickly enough to see the hole close above her. She sighed, "Not again." she mumbled before she tried to feel around in the darkness.


	5. Piece of Cake

**I Should so be doing Homework right now. =D But I would really rather enjoy not having writers block anymore. I'm so sorry it took so long to Update, but you have no idea how many times I tried to write this chapter. For a few weeks it was like everything I was writing was crap. But not anymore! At least I hope not. Hopefully I'll be able to update a few more times this week and have this story knocked out soon. I hope you like this chapter! It was a ton of fun to write, and I hope I've got you good and confused! ;P Enjoy! ~HSW**

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**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 5: Piece Of Cake_

Jareth couldn't help but chuckle as her form groped around the damp walls of the Oubliette. He rolled the crystal around in his hand for a moment before letting it vanish, he wondered what she would do now. The Goblins around his feet were causing chaos and a mess, but he pain them no mind. He glanced at the clock with a slight scowl, 11 hours to go. She was making better time than she had before.

----

Sarah groaned in frustration, there was no way out. She rubbed her eyes, and glanced around, what was she going to do now? She sat down against the damp floor and pulled her knees to her chest. She wasn't giving up, not that easily. But she needed to think, she just needed to sit down and think. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall.

_A little girl with chocolate brown hair pulled into pigtails that fell to her shoulder sat on a swing underneath a large tree. Sadness sparkled in her eyes as she watched her bare feet play in the lush green grass of the near by park. Her white dress danced in the cool August wind that had picked up. The young girl looked up slight surprised, like she had heard something, then giggled. _

"_Aren't you up a bit early?" she asked the branches. _

_Sarah took a few hesitant steps forward, wondering what the curious little girl was talking to. As she grew closer the girl continued to talk. _

"_Why am I sad?" she asked, before sighing, "My Mom and My Dad are fighting again. They fight all the time now, and they never have any time with me. They yelled at me because I asked if they would come push me on the swing." she said sadly. _

_Sarah felt sympathy for the girl, she knew that feeling all too well. She bit her lip and continued her way up the hill toward the young girl who had looked back up at the branch and laughed, "You'll push me? But you can't! You're an Owl!" _

_Sarah froze, an owl? She was talking to an Owl? She quickly ran up the hill just as a strong wind picked up. She stopped and stared at the white barn owl that sat in the branch above the girl. She made a move to go towards them just as the swing started to sway, and the young girl started to giggle. She took a slow step back as something triggered in her memory. The young girl looked back up at the owl before turning and making eye contact with Sarah, her eyes were Blue._

Sarah's eyes snapped open and she looked around quickly. She was shaking slightly and had an odd feeling of Deja Vu, but couldn't place why. Seconds passed and she forgot what she had dreamed about. She sighed and looked around, remembering where she was. She had no idea how to get out of there.

There was a scratching sound on the wall and she turned her head towards where the sound was coming from, "Hello?" she asked slowly, curiously. The scratching sound got louder, "Is someone there? Hello?" she asked again. The scratching sound paused, then turned into a thud as one of the bricks fell out of the wall and a white light shown through the hole.

She got up and ran over, peering through the hole, she could see a dusty hallway on the other side. She sat back and looked at the other bricks, before shoving her hand into the one beside it. Her hand stung, but the brick gave a little. She sighed and nodded before she began beating on the walls with all she had.

Minutes passed and the bricks gave away and created a hole big enough for her to crawl through. She lunged forward, and landed on the dusty ground with a thud. She laid on her back for a moment, breathing hard. Pieces of her hair had fallen out of the bun she didn't remember fixing, and stuck on her sweaty face. She sighed in slight relief as a cool breeze picked up and washed over her, cooling her off a little. She sat up and glanced around, she didn't recognize where she was but she knew she was underground.

Which meant that there was an opening somewhere nearby. All she had to do was walk the way the wind had come from. She stood up and brushed herself off, she looked around for a moment before she smirked, "Piece of Cake."

In the back of her mind, she swore she heard him laughing.


	6. Something In This Game

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 6: Something In This Game_

She blinked a little in the bright sunlight as she emerged from the tunnels and into the hedge maze. She looked around a little and sighed, debating silently in her mind if she should go left or right, she decided on right and started walking. She reached a few dead ends and had to turn back a few times, but still she kept her spirits high.

The heat was almost unbearable, the sun was beating down right on her and being in sleeves didn't really help. She finally found herself under a tree, she wasn't sure if it had been the same tree she had found Ludo under, but it looked like it. She sat down underneath it to escape from the heat and decided to fix her hair again. She pulled it into a sloppy pony tail and pushed her sleeves up.

She looked around for a moment, suddenly feeling lonely, "Hey Jareth?"

"What is it, Sarah?" he asked, stepping out from behind the tree and standing beside her, "Giving up?"

"Hardly. I was going to ask why it's so hot. I don't remember it being this hot before."  
"The last time you were here it was Spring. It's Summer now." he answered simply, "Is that the only reason you called me?"

She shrugged, "It gets kind of lonely doing this by myself. How much time do I have left?" she asked looking up at him, her eyes squinting in the bright sun.

He smirked and lifted his hand, a clock appeared in front of them, "9 hours and 45 minutes."

She nodded, "Plenty of time." she said stretching her legs out in front of her, "So what have you been doing since I beat you the first time?"  
He raised an eyebrow, "Running my kingdom." he answered simply, crossing his arms over his chest, "And what have you, my dear Sarah, been doing since you beat me?"

She shrugged, "Well I graduated High school at the top of my class, I moved out of my parents house and into an apartment near the college that I'm going to. I watch Toby every few weekends, and I have a barely minimum wage job at a Best Buy where my supervisor is a tyrant who makes me hope a hole will open up beneath her and swallow her whole one day." she said, not looking at him when she answered. But her lips had curved up into a smile when she had mentioned her baby brother, but fallen immediately after she had finished her thought on him.

Jareth laughed, "She sounds an awful lot like my Uncle." he said shaking his head, "I am glad to hear you and your brother get along now, though, I will admit, a part of me did wish that you would wish him away again."

She raised her eyebrow, "Whys that? For a chance at a rematch?"

He shook his head, "Winning is not everything to me, Sarah. But there is something in this game that comes close."

"What's that?" she asked curiously, not quite believing him.

"How's your Step-Mother? Karen is it?"

Sarah nodded, "She's as wicked as ever, doesn't think I'm doing anything with my life... Can't say she's wrong though."

"You won't be able to do anything with your life until after you receive your education. If she doesn't realize that she's a fool, just as I believed she was."

"How did you even know about Karen?"

"I know more about you than you think." he said giving her a small smirk, "When your parents were still together, though they never married, you always felt left out and alone even though you were far from it. When you found out that your father was getting married to Karen, you ran away. You were found hours later, soaking wet, at the local park. Leaves stuck in your hair and reading a red leather book you had found in a path in the forest."

"That's when I found the Labyrinth book." Sarah said nodding a little, "How'd you know?"

"Wouldn't you keep track of a book that gave instructions on how to destroy you?"

"Good point. But that doesn't explain why you knew about my parents, or that I ran away in the first place."

"I knew, because throughout your childhood, and until your run through my Labyrinth, there had been a White Barn Owl that you saw constantly, even though it was always during the day when Owls should not be awake."

She thought for a moment, "It was you. At the park."

"There was a reason you could never remember that line, Sarah." he said quietly.

She looked up at him curiously as he glanced at the clock, "I must go, you should as well. But why don't you check up on your friend." he said throwing her a crystal, "She's very beautiful, don't you think?"

She glanced down into the crystal as the vision of a dark hair beauty sitting in a window shimmered before her. The girls blue eyes were lazily wondering over the Labyrinth as her chocolate covered hair danced in the wind. The teenage girl swayed a little to the music that played inside her head, her simple white dress sparkling slightly in the sun. Something tugged at her memory before the crystal erupted in a flurry of glitter in the palm of her hand, "9 Hours and 10 minutes to go, Sarah." a voice reminded her and she stood up, shaking the feeling of Deja Vu from her system and continuing on her path.


	7. A Clocks' Bell Rang

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 7: A Clocks' Bell Rang_

Sarah walked, humming silently, through the hedge maze. Her mind wandering as she herself wandered through the twist and turns of a seemingly endless maze. But, for some reason, she wasn't becoming frustrated, nor upset. Instead, she was content walking around thinking to herself.

_There was a reason you could never remember that line, Sarah._

His words rang in her ears like a never ending song, much louder than the music that seemed to flow through the back of her mind. Her feet seemed to have a sense of where they were going, for every once in a while a memory of familiarity would tug at the back of her mind but slip away far too quickly for her to catch it.

"Is everything covered in glitter?" she mumbled to herself as she brushed up against a tree and was instantly covered in the annoying craft supply.

Though, she supposed, it added to the feel of the place. Even if it was a bit odd that a King would appear out of a cloud of glitter. She chuckled to herself, a majestic king appearing out of a cloud of glitter. It was ridiculous to even think such a thing… But it fit him. In an odd way, it suited his personality perfectly and she couldn't imagine him doing anything else.

Except dancing maybe…. A contemplative look appeared on her face. Why could she imagine him dancing perfectly? The look turned into one of a dreamer and her mind was lost to the imagination she had been so blessed to have.

_Her heart raced slightly as his gloved hand found her waist, and her hand was enveloped in his own. Warmth traveled from his body to hers, heating her cheeks and warming her heart. They spun around in a room that seemed to come straight for her dreams. Her dressed moved around her like wind and as they danced she felt peaceful, yet wild. Free, yet safe. His lips moved in a song, the melody dancing around in her mind and no matter how hard she tried to grasp at the words they faded. The word before the last disappearing as magically as it had come, leaving behind only a sweet and loving taste behind. Her eyes watched in curious wonder as his mismatched eyes smirked before her. In that moment she knew, she could dance forever. _

A Clocks' Bell Rang.

"As the World Falls Down." She whispered, though forgetting what she had said the moment before it left her lips.

She glanced around in a surprised fashion when she found herself just outside the walls of the Goblin City. How she had gotten there she wasn't sure, Of course, it didn't really matter did it? She was here, and the girl she was trying to rescue was on the other side of the walls was she not?

Sarah could not see a gate from where she stood, but instead she found a hole in the brick large enough for her to fit through. It struck Sarah as odd that the walls of the Labyrinth, which she remembered as so strong and impenetrable, to be falling to bits. She stepped into the Goblin City and tried to find her way to the castle.


	8. Be Free

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 8: Be Free_

Sarah silently entered the stone castle, her eyes watchful and careful though fear was far from her mind. Taking a right she let her feet, who seemed to know a lot more than her at the moment, guide her down the hallway and into the throne room.

The castle was cold and lonely. It felt abandoned, almost haunted. She rubbed her arms, not covered in Goosebumps, and stepped into the empty room. She looked around for the young…. No wait, she was a teenager. Sarah shook her head almost violently, until suddenly she felt a change in the air. She opened her eyes and before her stood a mirror.

Not just any mirror, but the old mirror from her vanity. Though the table itself had been stripped of all its decorations. The pictures were missing, as were the sculpture and books. In the reflection was a small girl, with ivory skin covered by a white dress with frills and bare feet. Her chocolate colored hair dancing in an unseen wind. The image shimmered and changed, the background becoming a grassy hill with a tall oak and a swing. The girl swinging happily, her hair now dancing in the caused wind.

"You can't push me! You're an Owl!" echoed through the air.

Again the image shimmered; Sarah took a step forward trying to make out the glitter that seemed to dance across the surface. As the image cleared a teenage girl, her chocolate hair done up in an elegant fashion silver clips making it sparkle. Her white dress flowed with an unseen force until the image shimmered again. The teenager danced with shadows, a smile across her features and music ringing through the air.

"There's Such a Sad Love, Deep in your eyes."

Sarah reached out to touch the surface of the mirror, as her finger tips touched the glass the spell seemed to be broken, the surface exploded with glitter, showering it onto the floor beneath her. In the mirrors reflection was Sarah, just Sarah, standing with a suddenly knowing look in her eyes.

"It was me… I wished myself away." She said as she turned to meet the gaze of the Goblin King.

Jareth nodded, his eyes sad, his voice bitter, "Odd, isn't it? Those words you said to me years ago now, finally, ring true. I no longer have any power over you, you have won yourself back. You are freed from the Labyrinth, forever. You can go back to your life without Goblins, without Dwarfs, without fairies, and without Kings who never deserved you in the first place. You are free from us." He said his eyes locked with hers through the speech, and as the last lines crossed his lips the gaze became harsh. But the anger was not, could not be, directed at her.

As he uttered these seemingly simple words to her, the walls seemed to pulse with sorrow, one that she shared and knew all too well. She never imaged that the one place she fought so hard to get away from, would be the one place she truly felt Home.

"But I don't want to be free of you, of any of you."

Jareth turned his head away from her, followed by his shoulders, until his back faced her, his hands fisted at his side.

"Please, don't make me go. I'd do anything to stay."

"Anything?" Jareth asked turning to look at her, his eyes glittering as they locked with hers.


	9. But

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 9: But_

It had been two weeks since Jareth sent her away, back to school, to her crappy job, to her shitty life. Two long, torturous weeks. She no longer saw shadows moving in the corner of her eyes, small mischievous shadows that had followed her since her first run through the Labyrinth. Her friends no longer answered her calls; she doubted they could even hear them anymore. She couldn't even find the red leather book that had brought her so much comfort. She felt alone, completely and utterly alone.

"Toby?" Sarah asked standing in the doorway to the boys' room.

"Uh huh?"

"What are you looking for?"

"An owl." He answered looking away from the window to his older sister.

"Why?" she asked as she entered the room and sat down next to him, "You should be in bed."

"I know, but I realized last week that something was missing and I just realized what it was."

Sarah's eyes narrowed in confusion as her fingers played with her brothers' hair, "What would that be?"

"An owl used to sit outside my window, watching over me. But he hasn't shown up in a few weeks." He said turning his blue eyes towards his sister, "Do you think he's alright?"

Sarah looked down at Toby, her eyes laced with sorrow and concern, "I'm sure that wherever he is, he misses you as much as you miss him."

"But the thing is, Sarah, I don't think he was ever really looking for me."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I only started seeing him after I moved in here." He said motioning to Sarah's old room that now looked nothing like it had in the past.

"What are you saying Toby?" she asked cocking her head to the side a little.

"I think he was looking for you."

"Toby, I-"

"Sarah! It's almost 9, you should get going if you want to make it back before it gets too late." Her father called from downstairs.

"Okay, Dad!" she called before looking at Toby, "I'll talk to you later. Get in bed." She said as she stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hey Sarah?"

"Yes, Toby?" Sarah asked as she turned to look at the boy crawling underneath his sheets.

"Did you ever give him a name?"

"Who?"

"The Owl."

"Oh, No I didn't." she said shaking her head.

"Can I?"

"Of course you can." She said smiling.

Toby nodded as he laid his head against his pillow, "What was that Kings name? The one from your stories?"

Sarah inhaled, "His name was Jareth."

Toby nodded as his eyes drifted closed, "I think I'll call him Jareth."

Sarah nodded a little and shut the light switch off with a click, before closing his door and quickly walking downstairs.

"Hey Dad?"

"What is it, Sarah?"

"Do you still have my old Vanity?"

Her father looked at Karen, then back at his daughter, "I think so, in the Garage. Why?"

"I'd like to take it back with me, if that's alright."

"Why of course it is." He said with a smile, "I'll help you load it into your car."

"Thanks Daddy."

Upon her arrival home she had struggled to carry the vanity up the two flights of stairs to her apartment, after a few failed attempts she enlisted the help of her neighbor. The man was about her age, and they had some classes together. He gladly helped her carry the piece of furniture to her apartment and then to the corner of her bedroom.

Sarah stood at the opposite side of her room, glaring at the old piece of furniture. Her shoulder blades were pressed against the wall, her feet holding her weight in front of her making a smooth arch all the way up her body. She stared at her beloved piece of furniture and wondered about the owl that Toby had seen, her fingers gently playing with the almost empty liquor bottle.

Why on Earth would Jareth be looking for her at her old house? Didn't he know that she had grown up and moved out? Didn't that click at one point? And why did he even come back? To get a good laugh over the fact that she still read her little book? She still called her friends? To enjoy the fact that she never really said goodbye?

Angry tears had filled her eyes and she shook her head slightly to get them to go away, only making it worse. Didn't he understand? Why did he come back to mock her? Why did he have to make letting go even harder?

She laughed bitterly to herself, "Letting go." She scoffed, "I'll never be able to let go." She mumbled to herself as she angrily walked over to her vanity and sat down. "I'll never be free of them. No matter what I do, I'll never let go." Her voice became grief stricken, "They'll never set me free… He'll never set me free. Even if he wants to." She mumbled, shaking her head.

She looked up at her reflection and rolled her eyes, "Pull yourself together, Sarah. My God, you're pathetic. Sitting here crying like a child! Over someone who never cared for you, and never will. Stop moping, Get Over It." she said to her reflection, though it only made more tears fall, "He never loved you, if he did he wouldn't have sent you away." Her green eyes closed as the memory ran through her foggy mind.

"_Anything?" Jareth turned, laughter in his eyes._

_Sarah nodded, "Yes."_

"_You're such a foolish girl. If I told you, you could stay here if you jumped out the window would you do it? No, of course you wouldn't. You should never promise such a thing, and to a foe no less. Have you learned nothing?" he glared slightly, "Even If, and I stress the if part, I wanted you to stay I couldn't let you." Something changed in his eyes, "It's against the rules, and I am bound to the rules in ways you will never understand." _

"_Please Jareth."_

"_It's no use, Sarah, the Game is over. Leave Me." He said and waved his hand, and she vanished in a cloud of glitter._

"He never loved you." She said again, to herself, looking up at her mirror. A surge of anger, that couldn't have come from her, made her legs shoot to a standing position.

Her hand became a fist around the bottle, before she turned and tossed it into the wall behind her. She went on a rampage; she tore her sheets from her bed, ripped her curtains from the wall, and smashed the mirror of her vanity and of the dresser. She ripped her clothes from the closet, threw her bottle of perfume onto the carpet, and ripped the drawers from their places. When she had nothing left to throw, but still energy to destroy she began hitting her walls. When her knuckles bled, and her arms became numb but still the anger had not faded, she dropped to her knees. She tore her clothes to shreds until her tears over took her and she collapsed to the floor, curled in a ball and sobbing helplessly.

"But I Loved Him." She whispered as she closed her eyes and buried her face into the shredded clothes on the floor around her.

----

"What wrong with King?"

"Me no know."

"Maybe we should ty something."

"No! Fox tried something this morning, it no end well."

"What should we do?"

"Leave him alone." Came an older voice than the others, as he shooed them away from where they were huddled. His warning voice continued, "Or he'll toss the lot of you into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"But Hog-"

"Go." He said waving them away.

They understood and scurried away, the clumsy creatures Goblins are it took them a few tries before they successfully got away. Hoggle sighed in an annoyed fashion and turned towards his King, who was sitting in his throne staring into space. His feet were placed firmly on the ground, uncharacteristically facing forward. His elbows rested on his knees, his hands laced together in front, and His head hung low.

"Your Majesty?"

The mismatched eyes looked up at him with a sadness Hoggle couldn't understand, "We've lost her, Hoggle. We've lost her, forever."

"Who, Your Majesty?"

"Sarah, surely you remember her."

"O'course I do! Did somethin' happen to her?"

He shook his head, his lips pursed like he had tasted something sour, "She ran the Labyrinth again."

"For what?"

"Herself."

"And she won."

Jareth nodded sadly, his head dropping again, "You know the rules as well as I."

"You cannot keep something a Runner has won."

"The penalty of which, is death."

"But, Your Majesty, It was Sarah. Don't you think the Labyrinth would have-"

"Rules are rules, Hoggle. No one is an exception. Not even her."

"So we can never speak to her again?"

Jareth shook his head as he sighed.

"Can she contact us?"

"I doubt it, No one has ever tried. I doubt she will."

"Why's that?"

"I tried to make her understand that she could never come back, I made her think I never wanted her to come back."

"But your Majesty!"

"It would make it easier on all parties involved if she thought I hated her. She will grow to hate the Labyrinth and then forget it all together."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because Hoggle!" The King stood to his feet, before he collapsed back down to his knees. His hand rushed to his heart and his eyes opened, "She's in pain."

"You're still connected to her!" Hoggle said hurrying to the Kings side, "But how?"

"Love..." he exhaled harshly, "Knows no bounds." His face became twisted in pain.

He yelled out in anger at the realization that she was hurting because of him, and he had no way of stopping it. He couldn't even look in on her to make sure she was okay. The agony coursed through him, but he forced himself to stand. He stumbled out of the throne room and tried to make his way to his quarters. He stumbled and tripped ungracefully through the halls, knocking over sculptures and tearing drapery from the walls. Finally he made it through the large, wooden doors to his quarters and he collapsed on the floor. His back against the door and his feet stretched out in front of him.

There was a brief pause, and for a moment Jareth though she might have severed the connection somehow. Maybe she had decided to let him go, to forget. His breathing was labored, but seemed to slow as everything around him did as well. It was an odd feeling and only the sound of his labored breathing reached his ears until sobs became clear in the background.

He concentrated and they became louder, and the voice became recognizable. Sarah, His Sarah, was crying. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, part of him overjoyed to hear her voice again.

"_But I Loved Him."_

The words passed through the air as time began to pass again. His heart clenched in his chest along with, what felt like, every other internal organ. For a moment he forgot to breath, then took a shaky and hard breath, before letting it out slowly. Two hot tears escaped and rolled down his cheeks, as the King of the Goblins joined his beloved in her tears.


	10. Just Not Fair

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 10: Just Not Fair_

She cried for hours, those hours became days. She seemed unable to stop, though she carried on with her day to day life. She acted like a zombie, a blank face and dead tear filled eyes. Even her manager left her alone. She didn't take any phone calls from her family, or her friends. Instead she lay in bed, tears absently streaming down her face as her heart ached.

Jareth walked around the castle in a fog, the Goblins slowly began to calm. Even the chickens seemed to pick up on the morbid mood. The sky became gray and miserable, reflecting the mood of the Labyrinth itself. Jareth eventually just locked himself in his study, pacing back and forth occasionally. Other times he would sit in a chair and stare into the empty fireplace, he wouldn't eat or drink. Instead he just sat, letting his heart ache with every beat that it managed to beat.

Finally Sarah realized she had had enough. She stood, in the middle of a lecture, and stormed out of the classroom. She practically ran to her apartment and slammed the door, glaring at the ceiling and pacing back and forth aimlessly.

"I wish the Goblins would take me away, right now." She said, though nothing happened.

"I wish The Goblin King would take me away, right now." Still nothing.

She collapsed to her knees, angry tears filling her eyes, "I WISH!" her voice cut with a sob and she hit the ground with her fists, her forehead resting on the carpet, "I wish I could see him." She wept, closing her eyes, "One last time."

A sound reached her eyes like the rustling of leaves, the scent of fresh rain and something spicy encircled her and a shadow over took her. She opened her eyes slowly and sat up, coming face to face with the man she had wished for, so many times. He was kneeling before her, sadness and relief mixed together deep within his enchanting eyes.

"Jareth." She sobbed, tears falling from both their eyes, "Oh, Jareth." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled him towards her, his head burrowing into her shoulder.

After a few moments she pulled back, "How?"

He shook his head, "My magic may no longer have an effect on you, but your magic has always had an effect on me."

"My magic?"

Jareth nodded, "What no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers."

"But none of that was true! It was just words in a story."

"Words in a story that you have already proven to be true." He said gently brushing her hair away from her face.

"If it was true then, why couldn't I stay? Didn't you want me to?"

"Of course I did, with all my heart. But I am tied to the Labyrinth and her rules, just as you are. I cannot keep what a runner has won back, no matter how much I want to, the penalty of which is death."

"You would have died if you let me stay?"

Jareth nodded.

"But there must be a way around it, I mean rules are there to be broken-"

"Sarah, as much as I wish what you say to be true we cannot break the rules."

Sarah looked away, trying to blink away her tears. Jareth sighed and hugged her to him, "My dearest Sarah." He whispered gently stroking her hair. She clung to the poets' shirt that hung loosely to his form, "It's not fair." She whispered into his chest.

"You're right… It's not." He answered gently kissing the top of her head.

"So this is the last time I'll see you?" she asked pulling back to look him in the eyes.

"I'm afraid so."

"At least I can give you a proper goodbye." She said as she pushed herself up to be eye level with him.

He looked curiously at her, "A proper goodbye?"

She nodded, "A proper goodbye." Her hand gently slid up from his chest to his cheek and she slowly pressed her lips against his.

It felt like something exploded within her, all her pent up emotions were finally released and something snapped, but it would seem that something snapped inside him too. He kissed her back with far more passion than she expected. Both her arms wrapped around his neck and she desperately tried to pull him even closer.

One of his arms wrapped around her waist and the other cradled her legs as he stood to his full height, not once letting his lips leave hers. He carried her through the apartment and laid her down on her bed. Sarah's fingers tangle in his hair before they had to break for air.

"Sarah…" he whispered looking down into her eyes.

She pulled the hand that had found his shoulder down and covered his mouth with one finger, "Sh." She commanded in a loving tone, "We don't have time to talk." She said in a teary voice, though her eyes remained dry, "Please, Jareth. We won't get another chance." With one leg between hers, a hand holding his weight over her shoulder and the other on her hip he leaned down to kiss her once again, and didn't leave her touch for quite a long time.

----

Her sheets had never seemed softer, and she had never felt safer. But the happiness she should feel had vanished a few minutes before. The clock was nearing midnight and she knew, like all the other fairytales, it was then the spell would end. She let her fingertips dance across his face, gently tracing the harsh, but beautiful, lines of his bone structure. The hand on her back absently traced patterns on her back as they stared at each other, the moon the only light in the room.

"I love you." Sarah said suddenly, her eyes narrowing and her hand coming to a rest on his chest.

Jareth smiled at her, "And I love you. I always have."

She nodded, "I think I always knew that, something wouldn't let me admit it though."

He smirked a little, "Yes, well, that doesn't matter now, does it?"

She sighed and laid her head down over his heart, "I guess not."

Jareth fell silent and played with her hair for the remaining few minutes.

A clock, which Sarah had never heard before, began to chime. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

"I just wish," Jareth began.

Seven. Eight.

Sarah lifted her head to look at him.

Nine.

"That we had more time."

Ten.

"Jareth…" she started.

Eleven.

"I love you, Sarah." He said, the sadness in his eyes matched hers.

Twelve.

And suddenly, she was alone. But her room was back in order, her mirrors were no longer broken and laying on her vanity was a white feather and a necklace. The one she remembered him wearing, whenever she had seen him but slightly smaller. His scent lingered in the air and hugged her like he had.

Sarah rolled over on her side, holding her sheet against her bare and now cold form, "It's just not fair." She whispered before she closed her eyes and let the first tear fall to the sheets.


	11. Like Fire, Like Ice

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 11: Like Fire, Like Ice_

Sarah opened her eyes slowly to the sunlight pouring through her window. She gently turned off the alarm clock and pulled the covered away. She shivered in the cold air that danced through her room and grabbed a robe from on the floor nearby. She wrapped it tightly around her and made her way to her bathroom; she paused by her vanity and glanced in the mirror. The necklace rested gently between her collar bones, the metal always cold no matter what she did.

She had tried to take it off, twice, but every time she tried her skin where the necklace had been would turn red and start burning leaving her no choice but to return it to its place. It wasn't like she minded; she loved the necklace and what it reminded her of. But the memories no longer brought sadness, nor did they bring happiness, just contentment. Somehow she knew she'd be with him again…. Someday.

----

Using the side of her wrist, she wiped the fog from the mirror and looked at her reflection. Her skin was clear and glowing softly, she looked like she had just walked out of a spa. She glanced over at her makeup and then back at her reflection, deciding with a smile that she wouldn't need it today.

She wrapped a towel around her hair and quickly got dressed, in jeans and a simple peasant blouse that hugged her curves but flowed loosely around her arms. She let her hair fall from the towel and again looked into the mirror in surprise. Her hair had already dried, falling straight over her shoulder. It only took her a few seconds to pin the front back the way she wanted it and it cooperated like never before.

She smiled a little, "I guess it'll just be a good day… Now where's that jack-" she turned and stood face to face with the leather jacket she had been looking for hanging on the hook. "Et…. I could have sworn that was in my closet." She said shaking her head a bit before she gently grabbed her jacket and hurried out the door.

----

She had a sneaking suspicion that something odd was going on after waking up 3 weeks in a row to perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect everything. Her eyes seemed to sparkle; she seemed to always be clean and beautiful no matter what. It was starting to get on her nerves.

Whatever she was looking for she would immediately find if she uttered its name. She thought that maybe it was the necklace that had something to do with it, but she had no way of experimenting with the theory seeing as she couldn't take the necklace off. She sighed and sat back against the seat of the bus she was riding home from work.

Her fingers gently danced with her necklace, the cold metal making her skin sting. A red shadow of the necklace was stained into her skin, but she didn't mind. The metal would warm one day, she knew it would. It would warm when she was happy, when she was home.

Sarah began to hum, while she stared out the window. An old song whose words had long escaped her. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, letting her voice and the music inside her mind engulf her and return her to her memories that were never quite clear anymore. She didn't notice the young girl sit beside her.

"Miss?"

Sarah opened her eyes and looked down, "Yes?"

The little girl, red pigtails framed her face and freckles were sparkled around her pale skin, stared at her for a moment or two before she leaned in, "I know what you are."

Sarah looked at her, confused, "What I am?"

The little girl waved her closed, Sarah obliged and bent down so her ear was level with the child's, the red head cupped her hand over Sarah's ear and whispered, "You're magic."

Sarah sat back slightly, "What makes you think that?"

"You don't belong here." The little girl whispered, looking into Sarah's eyes, "You should go home."

"I am going home."

"No! Your real home."

"What's your name?"

"Emily."

"Well, Emily, You have a very active imagination."

The little girl scoffed, "So did you." She mumbled a little.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." The little girl said shaking her head, "You need to go home, they need you."

"Who needs me?"

"Your subjects."

"What are you talking about, Emily?"

"That necklace you're wearing, it's the symbol of royalty in the Underground."

"How do you know about-"

"It's not important. Suddenly, things seem to work out too easily. You know things that you shouldn't know. It's knowledge of the only other Queen to wear that necklace."

"Emily, I'm not."

"This is my stop," Emily said as she stood up, "They need you, Sarah. He needs you, and I do too." The little girl said before she hurried off the bus, taking her mother's hand. Sarah sat back and shook her head, that hadn't made a bit of sense.

----

The bus hit a bump, making Sarah sit up from the uncomfortable position she had been sitting in. She rubbed the side of her head that had hit the window she had been using as a pillow until the bump woke her up. She didn't remember falling asleep, but assumed she must have.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes, it had been a long tiring day, "Oh, I wish I was home."

Sarah felt like the bus hand made a donut and opened all the windows slowly, so the wind over took her from the top of her head to the tip of her toes slowly. The air smelled different and felt damp. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around, "What the hell?" she asked as her feet touched soft grass and a small waterfall poured into a tiny pond before her.

_Sarah._

----

The necklace felt like it was burning, but Jareth couldn't remove it from his neck. His temper had grown shorter, but he didn't have the energy to use it. So instead, he glared at the floor and at the Goblins running amuck. Hoggle knew better than to bother the King when he was like that.

Thoughts of Sarah that used to bring him comfort, now only brought a bitter emptiness that he could really do without. He growled slightly and stood from his thrown, stalking to his quarters. "Fire." He demanded, and the fireplace lit itself, "Window." The window opened like it had never been shut, "Book." He said and the book rested on the side of the couch and awaited him.

He sighed and sat down, looking at the red leather book that had decided to make an appearance, "Not That Book." He growled, though it didn't disappear, "That isn't funny." He said again, but still the book remained, "Fine I'll just get another." He said as he stood and walked towards the small bookcase that decorated a wall, before the red leather book flew off the couch and hit him in the back of the head.

He turned with a deadly glare, "That was uncalled for." He said before he knelt and picked up the worn out copy of the book, "Fine, but I don't know why you're so determined to have me read this stupid thing. It's not like I don't have it memorized." He said as he plopped down, rather gracefully, onto the couch and opened it.

He froze when he read the first page, _Property of Sarah Williams_, Jareth remembered his lungs needed air and took a shallow breath before turning a page to find her elegant handwriting scattering the pages. Notes of this and that, underlining specific lines and even a few sketches that Jareth didn't think were too bad.

He spent an endless amount of time flipping through the pages, reading what she had written and laughing at some of the comments. He wondered who she had been writing to, her brother perhaps. Maybe she intended on giving the book to him when he was old enough, or maybe she was writing to herself. Keeping track of the knowledge she had gained during her run and from her friends. One particular sentence made him laugh, "_You Need To Eat Peaches More Often._"

His favorite one, though, was written after The Goblin King offers the Princess a crystal and read, "_I don't know why he offered me a crystal. I knew my dreams; I didn't need to see them. But what I wish, and dream, now more than anything is to thank you for letting me live them. Besides, if he really wanted me to have my dreams he would have just given me another Peach._"

He turned the page, expecting the ending to be there but found nothing. The pages had been ripped from the spine and the ending was missing. He sighed and looked up at the fire, swearing he saw a flash of green eyes deep within the depths of the flame. Jareth stood and approached the fire, raising an eyebrow slightly.

A cool wind, drenched in her smell, over took him and his necklace cooled briefly. _Oh I wish I was home, _the exasperated whisper wrapped around him like her arms and he closed his eyes. Her presence suffocated him for a brief second before the wind vanished and his necklace began to burn with a fury. "Sarah." He whispered, before turning on his heels and running.


	12. Loophole

**When No One Else Was Looking**

_Chapter 12: Loophole_

"Sarah! Sarah!"

Sarah turned around quickly, facing a door that hadn't been there before. Her eyes grew wide as the door flew open and a rather flustered king rushed in. Her face grew into a smile and she ran towards him. He caught her in a tight hug and lifted her off the ground slightly.

When she was placed back on the floor she pulled back to look at his face, "What took you so damn long?"

"The Escher room is a bitch." He said laughing a little as he stroked her hair.

A few tears fell from her eyes as she laughed a little too, "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Well you weren't going to."

The two turned and looked at the pool of water in the middle of the room, "Emily?" Sarah asked taking a few steps forward.

"Hello, again, Sarah." The child said smiling at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"As you guessed, I'm not a normal girl. In fact, I'm not a girl at all."

"Sarah, what you're seeing before you is the spirit of the Labyrinth. The girl she is portraying is the first runner of the Labyrinth."

The girl nodded, "I'm able to manifest myself into any person who has ever run my paths, or any nobility that has ruled my lands."

"That doesn't answer my question." Sarah said looking at the girl.

"Oh, right. Well I'm here because the queen was missing, making the King miserable, and in turn causing me to suffer."

"But I thought that I could never see him again."

"When you ran the Labyrinth the second time you won yourself back from him, severing all ties to you he had held before. When you wished to see him one last time, it was going to be your last time together. Until you confessed your love for each other and became one, the instant you two made that connection… Well, it was made long ago, you just acknowledged it… you became the Queen of the Labyrinth and bound to him permanently."

"We found a loophole."

Emily smiled and nodded, "Yes, you found a loophole."

"So does that mean I can stay?"

"No, it means you have to stay. Of course with your power you'll be able to visit aboveground anytime you wish. Now, if you two don't mind, get your royal butts back up to the castle and busy yourselves with something. I have a lot of cleaning up to do." Emily faded from view and the room shifted and twirled.

The two found themselves standing in the Kings quarters that had now adjusted to accommodate the Queen as well; a gorgeous wardrobe had appeared filled with the most beautiful dresses Sarah had ever seen, and one hidden in the back that had started it all. A few of Sarah's personal things were scattered about the room and the room had more of a feminine touch now.

"Sarah, I have to ask you something."

"Anything." She said with a smile.

"Will you have me as your King?"

"On one condition."

"What is that?"

"You won't be my slave, and I won't have to do everything you say."

"As you wish."

"Then I'll never let you go." She said as she stood on her toes to kiss him.

----

"That's odd." Sarah said from where she lay on her stomach, Jareths shirt falling off her shoulders.

"What's that?" Jareth asked looking over at her, smiling a little.

"My necklace isn't cold anymore." She said, rolling onto her back and staring at the odd piece of silver.

"It's because we're together."

She gave him an odd look.

"When I was young and my father was the King, I remember my mother complaining of her necklace feeling like ice whenever my father was away. One day I decided to ask her why. She said that from the moment she and my father had become one and the necklace had been placed around her neck, any time that they were apart her necklace would freeze against her skin. She explained that she and my father were two parts of one soul. One like fire and the other like ice. My mother was like ice because she could be cunning and cruel but at the same time be gentle and loving. My father was fire, because he was harsh and mean and loved my mother with all he had and would stop at nothing to protect her. Together they balanced each other out. She also told me that Fathers necklace caused him pain and left burn marks on his chest when they were apart. So when he returned I asked him why he continued to love my mother and wear the necklace if all it did was hurt him, at times it even left scars."

"What did he say?" Sarah asked scooting closer to him.

"That I would understand it one day… and I do now."

"So, why did he continue to wear the necklace?"

"One, because he couldn't take it off until one of them died or was removed from the throne."

"Removed?"

"Yes, my grandfather died many, many years ago. My parents now rule the Upper City. You'll meet them soon, I'm sure."

"At the wedding, I'd hope."

"I'm hoping before then, my dear. But the second reason he wore the necklace was because as long as it burned, he knew she was okay and that the fire she lit within him burned on and when you're far apart from the one person you love more than anything in the world that burn no longer hurts. Instead it soothes and reminds me that you still love me and I'm still loving you and we'll be that way for the rest of eternity."

She smiled and kissed him, letting him roll on top of her and giggling slightly as he pulled his shirt off her.

Outside the window the labyrinth grew stronger and better than it ever had been before. It became green and healthy; the sky even seemed to get clearer. The goblins ran amuck, with more energy than usual. In the afternoon sun, when no one else was watching, a red headed girl ran through the maze laughing and staring in wonder as her world repaired itself.

Finally everything was as it should be and the story ended, like all do:

Happily Ever After.


End file.
